Rain set for Interlagos yet again

Formula One teams and drivers are braced for a third consecutive grand prix to be disrupted by rain.

Initial forecasts predict a chance of showers over Interlagos on Friday and Saturday with a reduced chance of rain during Sunday's race.

Adverse weather conditions affected the consecutive Japanese and Korean grand prix weekends, adding to the sense of excitement and unpredictability.

Last year's Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session was badly affected by rain, as was the famous 2008 race which saw Lewis Hamilton snatch the world title on the final corner of the final lap.

And as teams began to set up station at Interlagos on Monday, workers scrambled for cover when a rain storm struck.

Source: ESPNF1

Drivers concerned about rain

A handful of Formula One drivers have admitted they are concerned about the prospect of rain at this weekend's night race in Singapore.

In its two year history, the floodlit grand prix has not had a wet session but thunderstorms are forecast throughout the weekend.

Nico Rosberg said he is "definitely worried" about the weekend's weather. "It's going to be rather interesting if it rains, but I hope it doesn't because it will be quite messy."

F1's most experienced driver Rubens Barrichello added: "It is a very slippery track and luckily they have done a good enough job for the track not to be as bumpy as it was. We have no experience in the wet whatsoever here so we need to understand what the tyres will do and the visibility more than anything. Not so much from the spray but the wet coming onto the visor. I've never driven in the rain at night. I really don't know what to say about that. We just have to wait and see."

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was also unsure what would happen: "We've yet to experience any wet running on a floodlit track, so it will be interesting if that happens."

The concern is that the bright overhead lights will reflect off the wet surface of the track and the rain droplets themselves. There was a huge downpour in the Marina Bay area on Wednesday, and on Thursday another severe storm rolled in.

"It [Wednesday's rain] was so heavy that rivers of water flooded the track to a point where the tyres can't deal with it," said Sir Jackie Stewart. "In daylight, we can see beyond the track if we're heading into rain. But here, the light is contained on the circuit and everything else is dark. So it'll be very challenging on the drivers' peripheral vision."

Source: ESPNF1

Wet weather forecast for Monaco GP

A week of bad weather could lead into a wet 2010 Monaco Grand Prix.

Weather forecasts said rain in the Principality is expected to persist intermittently throughout the entire race weekend.

Lewis Hamilton said on Monday that McLaren's forecast is also for "extremely unpredictable" weather and likely "heavy rain".

The 2008 world champion is also quoted widely as worrying about the effect slow backmarkers will have this weekend on the twisty Armco-barrier lined circuit.

One calculation has shown that if the entire field was evenly spread around the famous street layout, there would be less than 140 metres between each car.

"Even if it doesn't rain on the Sunday, the possibility of heavily disrupted practice and qualifying sessions means that we'll probably go into the race with a chance of one of the most exciting and unpredictable Monaco grands prix for many years," said Hamilton.

Source: Motorsport

Another wet F1 weekend possible in Spain

After the processional season opener in Bahrain, assessments about the success or failure of F1's new format have taken a back seat to the weather.

Rain either shook up the grid order or spiced up the grands prix in Australia, Malaysia and China, meaning that the question of whether the rules should be adjusted has been muted by arguably artificially-exiting races.

And the wait for clarity about the success of the 2010 formula, including the new ban on in-race refuelling, could now be extended into yet another race.

It is currently cold and wet in Barcelona, where about a half-hour north in the suburb of Montmelo round five of the world championship will be staged at the Circuit de Catalunya later this week.

The weather forecast for the city is for intermittently light and heavy rain showers throughout the week, with regular precipitation likely to remain a possibility until at least late on Sunday night when the skies could clear.

Presently, the forecast for Saturday - the day of qualifying - is for a cloudy day with a small chance of rain, while light rain in the morning is expected on race-day Sunday.

Source: F1 Complete

Rally of Turkey: Rain forecast for Sunday

The Rally of Turkey has been so far marked by extreme weather, unfavourable for tanning on the beach, but the rain still spared the first two days of racing. However, tensions are rising on Saturday night in Istanbul, as the sky threatens to burden the roads in the final stage of the rally.

Forecasts predict rain between Saturday and Sunday, and more precisely, showers for the day ahead. If the forecasts become true, the position of leader will prove much less costly on wet soil or mud. Sebastien Loeb could then afford to attack less in the beginning, in order to limit risks.

Temperatures will continue to fall, as mercury has been confined over the past two days in levels more appreciated by those who like chilly weather. The thermometer should not exceed 15º at most during the day on Sunday.

Source: Automoto365
Traslation from French: Fran

Rain forecast for Chinese GP weekend

After inclement weather spiced up the recent Australian and Malaysian grands prix, more rain is expected in the region of this weekend's Chinese round near Shanghai.

In the wake of the Bahrain season opener, whose processional race was blamed on the new refuelling ban, rain in both Melbourne and Sepang was credited for the much more exciting races.

This weekend, the Formula One circus is at the Shanghai circuit in the Jiading district, about a half-hour drive from the city centre.

Longer-range weather forecasts last weekend were predicting up to a 85 per cent chance of rain for Sunday afternoon, with the race scheduled to begin at 3pm local time.

The chance of rain on Sunday has now diminished, but a cool week - with almost definite rain expected on Wednesday and Thursday - is still forecast.

As for the F1 weekend, Friday and Saturday should be both sunnier and warmer, and a more than 50 per cent chance of showers throughout Sunday is predicted.

Source: Motorsport